Ella's Rescue Mission
by wildernessgrrrl
Summary: This is the first part of my story, the other half will be coming soon. It takes place right after she gets back from the giant's wedding and her father marries Dame Olga. Enjoy!


Ella's Rescue Mission Part 1  
  
Mandy's Fairy Book had come to help Ella in troubling times before, but never had she been more in need of its powers. As she turned each page, Ella saw more and more horrific things. On one page, Char being led away by an ogre, the next page held a picture of Char battling an evil knight, the third of him narrowly missing the flame of a dragon, each picture being more and more troubling, causing frantic feelings inside of Ella's already worried head. If only her father hadn't given her the command to stay. "If it wasn't for this blasted curse, I would leave right now and find Char! I have to help him!" Ella tried frantically to yell for Mandy, her fairy godmother, but as she was away at the market, Ella knew that she would not be able to help Ella to counteract the command.  
She sat there, struggling against her own curse of obedience, trying to move from her seat, trying to fight off the curse so she could rescue Char. She got up out of the seat, and took small steps away from the chair till she was an arm length away. All of a sudden her world felt like it was spinning and was trying to crush her to bits. She rushed back to the chair, feeling relieved that her head had stopped spinning, but still trying to find someway to go and rescue Char.  
Hattie sauntered into the room in her usual way, barely even noticing her stepsister. Ella didn't want to have to depend on Hattie, but Ella thought she might know a way that would release her from the command without letting Hattie order her around for long term. "Oh, Hattie. You should really try this chair. It's so comfortable and soft. Its like sitting one a cloud," Ella said with a tone of utter bliss, trying to get her cruel stepsister to become jealous, as she usually did.  
"Why should I care to sit on some stupid chair? There are just a million or so other chairs I can sit in that are just as comfortable," Scuffed Hattie.  
"Yes, but this one is brand new. Father traded one of his most precious stones for it. It is the softest chair in the world," Ella lied.  
"Let me try it then. You do not deserve such comfort," Hattie told Ella, the response exactly how Ella had planned. She could now get out of the chair and save Char!  
Ella ran out of the room, the fairy book in her arms, and rushed to the old castle. She knew he wouldn't be there, but she had to check. She ran up the stairs that Ella and Char had once rode down at her father and stepmother's wedding, and entered the old crown room. She turned right into the small room where she and Char often sat and talked. She stopped suddenly, remembering that Char was on his way to Ayorthia and wouldn't be back for three weeks. She had to stop him and warn him of what may happen. She couldn't let the man she loved fall to such terrible doom!  
She glanced out the large, open window and stopped. She thought to herself, "I'll take Apple! Char has been training him to ride, and by now he's got to be one of the best ride-able centaurs in Frell!"  
She slid down the stairs and ran through the back castle doors, which still stood open from her quick entrance. She sped towards the pasture, and whistled, calling the centaur from his slumber. She leapt on his back, and pointed him over the short, stone fence that led toward to the road to Ayorthia. They galloped through the town; passing the shouting onlookers as they narrowly squeezed through the tight crowds in the marketplace. As they approached the village's limits, Ella slowed Apple to a fast canter to keep him from tiring too fast. All Ella could think about was if she would be able to reach Char before it was too late. As she raced through the winding woods, she would stop the few carriages she saw, asking if they had seen the Prince ride past, but none had seen any human, only a few Elves and a couple gnomes. She thanked them, but could only keep thinking that she was too late, that the ogres had already attacked Char and were planning on how to serve him and who would get what part of his handsome, noble body. As she raced around a large turn, Apple suddenly halted to a stop. Ella flew over his head and landed on the plush, green grass. Apple looked at her with unintelligent eyes and then walked over to an apple tree to nibble on some of the fruits full in bloom. Ella stood up and brushed herself off, looking around to the spot where they had stopped. Up ahead lay a forked road, one way leading to Ayorthia, the other to the dark forest where the Ogres were well known to live. She had a feeling not to follow the river and the path to Ayorthia, but instead walk into the dark forest. Ella checked her fairy book to see if anything had changed. Ella still saw the images of Char being carried off to an ogre feast, and seeing this, reassured herself that she would be heading in the right direction. She remounted Apple, pulling him away from the luscious fruit tree, and pushed him on as they turned onto the dark path leading towards the ogres. Would she make it one time? Would she save her beloved prince before it was too late? Would Char become an ogre's meal? The path holds many secrets, and time will tell what the end will be.... 


End file.
